Literacy beyond the early years

It is a simple fact that phonics and early childhood literacy come first before all other langue arts learning.  There is serious cause for alarm there.  But early childhood education while vital for future success of each child, is only part of the illiteracy problem in America.

According to the article from September 2013 published on the Huffington post website (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html), entitled “The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn't Changed In 10 Years” 32 million adults or 14 percent of the population are functionally illiterate.  63 million more can only read at a 5^th grade level and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t even read.  Are we ok with these statistics because at least most adults can read at a 5^thgrade level? Is that good enough?

No matter what the early childhood literacy advocates say, there needs to be more than just basic literacy, if 93 plus million adults are reading at or below 5^thgrade levels, this is clearly not just a early childhood literacy problem.

http://www.edudemic.com/the-current-state-of-literacy-in-america/

One way to approach the literacy gap is through following the readers advisory method, particularly the Reading Rainbow approach through an empowering peer to peer method for children is key.  Starting a dialogue between all types of readers especially peer to peer is another key to creating life long readers. But even with all the efforts of all the literacy nonprofits, we have a long way to go.

http://news.yahoo.com/reading-rainbow-hits-jackpot-twice-high-fix-illiteracy-221331057.html

In terms of the detractors from Levar Burton’s kickstarter campaign for fund a digital Reading Rainbow, Burton tells it like it is “I believe that this is a world that was designed to create opportunities for us to work together so that everybody’s needs get met. And I genuinely believe if we had more economic cooperation as opposed to competition, we’d be a lot better off as a society.” If the detractors from Burtons Reading Rainbow kickstarter, actually did something themselves for literacy (either donate time or donate money) then there would be less need for bickering and there would be less of a literacy problem here in the States.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/05/30/levar-burton-reading-rainbow-interview/

Here is further proof that the digital reading rainbow will cross most digital platforms and will be available in some needy schools.

http://www.polygon.com/2014/5/30/5765764/reading-rainbow-app-playstation-xbox-android-kickstarter

Personally I am currently a manager at a bookstore, those places that are for profit libraries. I see nothing wrong with both making a profit and promoting literacy. There is no inherent conflict between the two ideas of making money and helping families read, in fact, if you think about it even libraries need to get money (grants) you wouldn’t call public librarians money grabbers would you?

 Today’s socially responsible business practices are focused on improving the world while benefiting the company. Socially responsible plans are an increasing part of the big business world. And as a one store business I think we are doing our part by providing a crucial missing piece of the Los Altos business scene as well as our community outreach and how we have always been a community gathering spot not to mention our collections for charities and donations to other charities. We are customer and community oriented much the same way a library is.

The need for profit for all companies (even not for profits have to bring in money somehow) does to make profit making a bad thing. It is then what the company does with it’s profits that is what needs to be investigated. This and then we have to look at the business as a whole in all its parts before we can be fully accurate in our perceptions. There is nothing wrong with reader advisory especially peer to peer reading advisory, which is endlessly effective. And yes we need basic literacy in early childhood education. These too need never be in conflict, neither does the what some have called conflict between the for profit motive and working towards literacy causes. 

profiting from Literacy and reading, who does that?

Literally literacy for profit of all!!!

In a recent hot air blog on the Washington post website (www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-intersect%2Fwp%2F2014%2F05%2F28%2Fyou-might-want-to-reconsider-that-donation-to-the-reading-rainbow-kickstarter%2F&h=FAQGL3LLL)

By Caitlin Dewey form may 28 2014, Levar Burton’s new kickstarter campaign, to fund a new “reboot” of Reading Rainbow and literacy promotion is a dastardly venture with a clear ulterior motive, to make profit? Who does that? I mean really who in their right mind makes profit from selling books? Hmmmm… the whole publishing industry, local independent bookstores everywhere, and even yes, Amazon and audible.com yeah its wrong to profit from doing the world an important service like literacy.

Teaching literacy to the masses and being for profit

These two things are not at conflict with each other in the real world and really never have been or will ever be.

Its either that there is this infinite and endless peace between profitability and literacy or else bookstores everywhere would not exist, and all books would only be available through the already budget gutted libraries and struggling charities.

We need for profit literacy companies and stores also, lest we fall into communism. (joke)

While there might be plenty of research on the importance of early literacy and phonics that does not in anyway negate the need for a life long love of reading to encourage a educated free and democratic society.

To follow in the logic of cutting funding for everything that’s not phonics or early reading, lets just leave it at that, if they are literate they will stay that way. Except if they never read for fun, and feel reading is just either boring or a chore. Wait if they can read then there is no need for langue arts education past 2^nd grade. So our kids can learn just enough to read then they need nothing. I smell total BULL SHIT!

If the question was only about teaching kids to read period, it would be much easier to address the language need of our students. But try teaching reading to someone who is reluctant to read at any age? We need to engage them too.

OMG the show is already popular? really? That is  not a legitimate reason to stop future generations from learning to love to read from a digital platform!

Just because the new reading rainbow stuff is going to be available to computer first does not make the program an elitist group of selfish literacy lovers, it means they have to start somewhere and starting with the population that watched the 80’s-2000’s show ( who mostly have computers by now)_is actually a good thing.

SO if your going to criticize profit making, why not only read the physical library books, only watch library dvd’s, and watch reruns of reading rainbow no one is stopping you. And please everyone reading this support reading and literacy initiatives in your area. There are tons. Like Reading partners and  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES and I would hasten to add SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORES!

But please don’t turn the Levar Burton/ new Reading “reboot” into a capitalism bashing party, or a soap box with out a mirror.

I hasten to ask this Caitlin Dewey what she does to promote children’s literacy in her own life…..

I for one am working on my library masters and I work in a local bookstore, selling literacy and love of reading BOTH each and every minute I can.
 

Let's let go of some of our power to empower youth, and get more out of our research!

Power dynamics, in our example are being an adult who is imediately both outsider to youth culture and the adult is seen as an “authority” figure  and the resulting power struggles pervade almost everywhere in modern life especially between teens and adults. Best’s 2000 article on about how adults create media that manifest into social constructions of “proms” and often dictate the lasting cultural significance of a prom.  The counter argument that I support is that young adults and youth need to, can and will identify themselves through their own personal experiences of certain rites of passage (like prom). This somewhat unpopular idea needs to be taught, reinforced and spread so that youth will know that their personal growth experiences will certainly shape them more than any adult label or adult construct.

The problems arise when adults assert their agendas and perspectives on teens who see things their own way, and clearly need to identify and define themselves on their own terms. Consequences can of the lack of self discovery can be devastating to a younger person and he or she’s future. Our current ageist power hierarchy (in Bes’s case) of those of who controls the meaning of and responsibility for youth behaviors and experiences needs to be questioned and flipped.

To bring this idea into what I can do as a future librarian or researcher, I will make sure I include youth through out the research process, and continually examine what they think, how they experience and how they describe their lives and make a free and safe spaces so they can discuss all f this and more entirely on their own terms.

Power dynamics such as those presented in Best (2000) Dimitidis (2008) and Taft (2007) also speak of the predominant racism inherent of our understanding of the construct of the legacy of the conventional American young adult experiences. The American young adult experience is often portrayed in literature, and through out all media as almost always white, upper middle class, heterosexual, traditional nuclear family. The dominance of this portrayal in media and literature is unsettling and to me is quite disturbing despite the changes over recent years progress has been slow, and has not even come close to equally representing the shifts in our demographics on any scale. It is goal of mine to focus on the minorities in our midst” those youth who are outcast and marginalized and try to empower them throughout the research and program evaluation process that I am doing this term.    

I also hope to do more research on the lack of diversity in youth literature (particularly up to YA).

The idea of being open and reflexive to mental gymnastics that Susan talked about are essential to growth and development as a researcher. We must all strive to avoid our own biases and to keep ourselves out of the way of our own research.

Our Linden Tree (poem on Linden Tree)

Our Linden Tree

Our Linden Tree

is a giving tree

that grows with each gift

given, each two-legged creature

that burrows inside our walls, teaches

us all something new.  The miles of smiles

             on the faces of regulars, the wondrous warmth

         of newcomers with all those bright eyes, the tales

       grandparents, newborns and those in the midst of

                      those sage ages all welcome in our spaces,  

                      day after day this nurtures us to our core.

     Our sustenance

  also comes from

                                            the joy of giving

                                   guidance and raw materials

 with which they create their own

beautiful new worlds, whose origin is

within each freshly opened and newly loved book

discussion on ethics in youth led research

 Kafisis (2010) observations on implied consent were useful (any researcher should not assume anything), and the transparency of research methods is also a necessary part of any legitimate scientific research. The relative anonymity (albeit limited over time) of online studies took away a lot of the hierarchy and power distance that is my biggest concern in adult research on children.  

Leonard’s (2007) article in Best’s (2007) book spells out my most pressing concern with adult research work on youth. The gatekeeper phenomenon is created in the inherent power imbalance in the adult researcher and children divide. Leonard clarifies that the gatekeeping can keep children quiet during the first few stages of the research. Gatekeepers have the power to permit or restrict the access “to people or situations for the purposes of research.” (p. 135) According to Leonard, trust and rapport need to be created, built and strengthened “at a number of different levels.” (p. 135) This trust and rapport building practice is to avoid a reemergence of the power distance.  Its interesting to point out that one of the good practices Leonard points out is a continual review of consent to ensure that children remain willing to be involved.  

Delgado (2010) takes the power struggle a step further. According to Delgado there is even a power struggle between the youth doing the research and the youth being studied.  “Effort must be made throughout the research endeavor to identify power differentials and help youth recognize these situations and develop appropriate ways to redress them.” (p. 86) This might require additional time and effort to the research process, but this step may well be crucial to all youth led research processes.  To address this I would facilitate problems solving conversations that would focus on how to ensure all youth have equal say in the research process.   

According to this weeks chapter in Dimitradis, (2008) the assumed drastic power imbalance between adult researcher can be alleviated by using youth led or youth participatory action research (YPAR) methods. Where youth take up the position of researchers and use their own observations and experiences as well as those of their peers as the primary data collection.  This data collection empowers youth at least for as long as their research is being done and is one of the most effective methods for bridging the power gap between youth and adults.  It empowers them as Dimitradis (2008) explains having youth lead research it “de-parochialize(s)” research. (p. 125) Taking research away from the “elite” adult researchers, making research a “much more universal elementary and improvable capacity.”  (p. 125) This youth led aspect, plus the conversation on equality of power mentioned above, both addresses how I would solve the power distance issue in my hypothetical evaluations research project on a youth service program at a library.